Magnetic levitation assisted guide for a linear micro-actuator

In linear micro-actuators based on the electromagnetic driving principle, attractive vertical forces are generated between stator and traveler in addition to the drive forces. These vertical forces reduce the resulting driving force of the motor depending on the quality of the applied guide system. Thus, the development of an adequate guide system with a very small friction is required to guarantee an efficient operation mode. This paper describes the development of a guide system based on repulsive magnetic forces to partially compensate the vertical forces of a linear hybrid step micromotor.